Saturday, June 2, 2018

Staunton, June 1 – Anyone who has
visited an island, be it Prince Edward Island in Canada or Staten Island in New
York, before and after a bridge linked its residents to the others so that they
could go and come at will rather than remain dependent on ferries knows how
much a new bridge can change for better and worse the situation of the islanders
and the others.

Many in Crimea have never travelled to Russia proper
or have done so only occasionally because of the difficulties and expense of
the ferries. Now, they can go more regularly not only to “see for themselves,”
as many put it, Vasilyev says; but in order to visit shopping malls – Crimea doesn’t
yet have one – and to purchase some goods at significantly lower prices.

At present, there is real novelty in
making a visit via the bridge, he continues, and there is a significant price different
for many goods between Crimea and the Kuban, although that may end later this
year when heavy trucks are allowed on the bridge and can bring goods to the
Ukrainian peninsula.

If prices decline in Crimea at that time,
the number of Crimeans who will cross the bridge will likely decline; but the
number who visit Russia via the bridge will likely still remain higher than was
the case before the bridge was opened this past month.At the very least, residents tell Vasilyev,
they will have something to compare.

That could work for Moscow – but if
prices aren’t equalized and equalized rapidly, it could work very much against the
Russian side.